Tennessee extends contract for women’s tennis head coach Alison Ojeda.
Tennessee announced a contract extension for women’s tennis head coach Alison Ojeda on Thursday. Her contract extension is through June 30, 2029.
“Alison’s competitive drive and commitment to the student-athlete experience is extraordinary,” Tennessee vice chancellor and director of athletics Danny White said. “As a former Tennessee student-athlete, she takes great pride in the holistic development of everyone in her program. Her passion for Tennessee, her ability to teach and develop talent and her commitment to fostering a championship culture will continue to elevate her program and allow them to consistently compete for SEC and National Championships.”
Ojeda has served as the Lady Vols’ head coach since Nov. 2016.
The stars always come out for the U.S. Open in Queens, New York, and this year was no different as pop singer Taylor Swift and her NFL beau Travis Kelce made an appearance on Sunday afternoon. The duo took in the men’s final between Taylor Fritz and Jannik Sinner, capping off a big weekend in the city.
During one of the breaks, Swift and Kelce let loose, singing along to “I Believe In A Thing Called Love” by The Darkness. The 14-time Grammy winner sang the lyric, “I want to kiss you every minute, every hour, every day” to her boyfriend of just over a year, and the pair belted out the chorus together.
Good morning, Winners! Welcome back to the Morning Win. Thanks so much for reading today. Appreciate you giving us a bit of your time.
Tennis is different from other sports. It’s hard to say anyone ever has a “home-field advantage” in the sport. The crowd has favorites, sure. But everybody is really there just to watch some good tennis. That’s how it usually goes, anyway.
But you don’t want to see Frances Tiafoe on the US Open court. That’s a home game.
On Tuesday night, Tiafoe faced off against Grigor Dimitrov, the No. 9 ranked player on the tour. And every step of the way, it seemed like all 24,000 fans in the building were riding his coattails.
There’s a reason for that. People have been itching to see a renaissance in American men’s tennis.
Obviously, America hasn’t been without greats in tennis for years on the women’s side. The Williams sisters — especially Serena — have covered us for the last two decades with ease. That’s tennis royalty right there.
Now, we’re moving into the Coco Gauff era. She’s still got a lot of room to improve after taking a bit of a step back this year, but she’s only 20 years old and has already won a US Open and should win a lot more.
The American men’s side hasn’t been as successful. Andy Roddick was the last American man to win a major in tennis.
Folks. I said Andy Roddick. He hasn’t played since 2012. He won his last major nine years before that, in 2003. It’s 2024 now. You don’t need to be a math genius to recognize that’s a really long time ago.
But fret not, folks! There’s hope now. An American will make the US Open Final after Friday’s match between Tiafoe and Taylor Fritz. Fritz (No. 12) is the likely favorite against Big Foe after having gone 6-1 against him through seven matches. But Tiafoe (No. 20) is on fire right now. He’s won 11 of his last 12 matches, with the only loss coming against the ATP’s No. 1 player, Jannik Sinner. Don’t count him out.
Regardless of the result between these two, we’ll have an American in the final of a major for the first time since 2009. We’ll see what happens from there.
But right now? This is a pretty great place to be in.
The wrong kind of history
(Photo by James Gilbert/Getty Images)
Florida State fans, I promise I’m not trying to pile on here. I know things aren’t going great, but the hits just keep coming.
The first Associated Press ranking of the CFB regular season arrived on Tuesday and after two mind-blowing losses to Georgia Tech and Boston College, FSU has dropped from the poll completely.
Florida State is just the third team ever to drop out of the first poll of the season after being ranked as a preseason top 10 team, according to the AP. That’s not a place you want to be.
The season is far from over. Maybe FSU will climb back into a place of respectability. We’ll see. But, right now? This season can only be described as a nightmare.
Other movers:
— Clemson fell 11 spots from No. 14 to No. 25 after a blowout loss against No. 1 Georgia.
— Texas (No. 3) and Alabama (No. 4) each jumped up one spot, giving the SEC three teams in the top four of the poll with Ohio State (No. 2) being the lone non-SEC team in the picture.
— Texas A&M fell completely out of the rankings from No. 20 after losing to No. 5 Notre Dame.
— Georgia Tech (No. 23) is ranked for the first time since 2015 after starting 2-0 this season.
— Michigan dropped a spot down to No. 10 but can gain some ground with a win against Texas this weekend. What a matchup.
The Caitlin Clark era is officially here for the Fever
Obviously, Clark has been playing all season for Indiana and has been really good as of late.
But the true test starts in a few weeks.
With losses from the Atlanta Dream and the Chicago Sky on Tuesday, the Fever officially clinched a playoff spot on their day off.
That’s huge. The development of this team has been quite a treat to watch. The Fever have been an offensive juggernaut since the team’s 2-9 start at the beginning of the year. Since then, they’ve gone 15-6 and have won eight of their last 10 games.
What’s really cool about this is that this will be the first time the Fever have made the playoffs without Tamika Catchings. EVER.
It’s an earlier exit from the US Open than Ben Shelton wanted, but the former Gator delivered an epic battle against fellow American Frances Tiafoe on Friday.
The latest chapter in a budding rivalry between two rising American stars in tennis was written on Friday when Frances Tiafoe upset [autotag]Ben Shelton[/autotag] in the third round of the US Open.
Tiafoe exacted his revenge in five sets, 4-6, 7-5, 6-7(5), 6-4, 6-3. A year ago, it was Shelton who came out on top in the US Open quarterfinals. A newcomer to the pro scene at that time, the former Florida Gator has since emerged as one of the game’s youngest stars. He’s climbed to No. 13 in the world, passing Tiafoe, but that could all change after this latest result.
Shelton is dropping 720 points on Monday in the ATP rankings, and being knocked out in the third round means he’ll add just 90 back. Meanwhile, Tiafoe is just one more win away from replacing all 360 points he earned a year ago, but Shelton is hoping to see him go further than that, or so a lingering midcourt meeting after the game would suggest.
The two know each other well and they are considered the United States’ best options to come out on top of a Grand Slam. Tiafoe granted Shelton a ton or respect in his post-game interview.
“I’ve got to say, Ben’s an incredible player, man. He’s an incredible player. He really is. He goes for all kind of shots. He’s got no care in the world. It’s really annoying. … He’s really talented. He can come up with great shots. So can I,” Tiafoe said. “It’s highlight after highlight. I hope you guys enjoyed the show.”
It would be hard not to enjoy the show, one that seven-time Grand Slam champion John McEnroe suggested should have come at night. The crowds were packed and dueling chants in support of both players rang throughout the match.
Shelton was at his best in the first set, winning 6-4. He delivered some incredible moments and seemingly backed Tiafoe into a corner. Tiafoe never wavered, though. He brought Shelton to 21 break points and converted five in crucial moments. The most important one came to put him 3-1 in the fifth set, and fatigue set in for Shelton.
Shelton’s next appearance should come a the Laver Cup in Germany as part of Team World, captained by McEnroe. The Laver Cup puts six Europeans against six players from elsewhere in the world. Twelve matches are played over three days (nine singles and three doubles), with the third set being a 10-point match tiebreak.
Unfortunately, winning the Laver Cup does not award any points in the ATP rankings, so Shelton could opt to play one of the Asian tournaments in September to climb back up a few spots. A pair of 250-point Opens feels beneath him at this point in his career, but he could show up at one of the ATP 500 events at the end of the month.
The next 1000-point event is the Rolex Shanghai Masters. He made it to the quarterfinals of that event last year.
Follow us @GatorsWire on X, formerly known as Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Florida Gators news, notes and opinions.
Naomi Osaka didn’t beat around the bush about how much losing hurts her.
Naomi Osaka‘s return to her career hasn’t been without its challenges. After dropping a U.S. Open second-round match to Karolina Muchova, the tennis star transparently assessed what losing feels like.
Returning to typical activities after a life-altering event, like having a baby, can be grueling. Any progress made after that point is tremendous, and it’s especially awe-inspiring for athletes. However, it seems that Naomi Osaka may not be meeting the possible expectations she set for herself during her comeback.
All positive vibes after winning a first-round match at the U.S. Open just days ago quickly faded when Naomi was ousted in straight sets Thursday. Here’s what she told the media about how it feels to lose (See the 3:53 mark of the YouTube video below):
“It’s a little rough because I do take these losses really personally…It’s like a dramatic word, but, like, I feel like my heart dies every time I lose.”
“And it sucks a lot, but I’ve been trying to be more mature and learn and talk more about them.”
Ben Shelton loves playing in New York, but he’ll have to take down another American to continue his run at the 2024 US Open.
So far, so good for [autotag]Ben Shelton[/autotag] at the 2024 US Open.
The 22-year-old American defeated 36-year-old Spaniard Roberto Bautista Agut in straight sets, 6-3, 6-4, 6-4, without dropping a break in the second round on Wednesday.
The former Florida Gator leaned on his left-handed power serve, as usual, but he also moved around the court freely on a day when temperatures exceeded 90 degrees and 50 percent humidity in New York City.
Shelton now turns his attention to fellow American Francis Tiafoe in a high-profile, third-round matchup. The two clashed in the quarterfinals of last year’s event with Shelton coming out on top in four sets.
More recently, Shelton defeated Tiafoe in the finals of the 2024 U.S. Men’s Clay Court Championship in Houston, 7–5, 4–6, 6–3.
Now ranked 13th overall in the world, and higher than Tiafoe, it’s Shelton’s game to lose.
Still, Shelton expects a strong level of competition from Tiafoe, calling the matchup a “popcorn match,” as in “Go get your popcorn, Shelton and Tiafoe are playing.”
It will be interesting to see how the crowd is split in this one. Both players thrive off the energy from the audience, but Tiafoe is a lovable underdog here.
Barring weather delays, Shelton and Tiafoe should meet on Friday. However, tournament organizers have not announced the match time or court designation yet.
Follow us @GatorsWire on X, formerly known as Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Florida Gators news, notes and opinions.
A year ago, Ben Shelton announced himself to the tennis world with a run to the semifinals of the US Open in New York. Can he do it again?
Former Florida tennis star [autotag]Ben Shelton[/autotag] announced himself as the next great American in tennis this time last year with a surprise run to the semifinals of one of the US Open — one of the sport’s four majors.
It vaulted him up the ATP men’s rankings and earned him an endorsement from tennis legend Roger Federer. But that was last year.
Shelton is back in New York this week to try and repeat his semifinal run. Winning the whole thing is, of course, the goal, but Grand Slam events feature the very best of the best. Unlike ATP 1000 events — the next largest tournaments in professional tennis — majors require three-set wins to claim a match.
Winning seven straight to emerge on top of a field of 128 is already hard enough. Adding in an extra set or two each match means fatigue is an even bigger part of the game than usual.
It’s a good thing that Shelton made quick work of his first-round opponent, then. Shelton won in straight sets — 6-4, 6-2, 6-2 — against Austrian Dominic Thiem, who won the event back in 2020.
Thiem is actually the better story here, but we only care about Gators on this site. He finally got his roses in front of a full crowd, and it marks the end of Thiem’s grand slam career. Injuries have hampered him over the past few years, and he’s made it known he plans to call it quits at the end of the season.
Now back to Shelton.
The young lefty leaned on his power serve all afternoon. He beat Thiem in the second round last year en route to the semis, so this was a case of if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. The former Gators was humble in victory and praised Thiem’s resilience after the match.
“Obviously, I have been out here a couple years now, and he’s kind of been in and out playing tournaments and not playing tournaments,” Shelton said. “So you hate to see a guy like that, such a nice guy, great player, go through the injuries and deal with all that he’s dealt with.”
Shelton’s in the middle of his prime, but it has to be a stark reminder that nothing can be taken for granted in the world of professional sports.
“I think if I learn anything from him, it’s that this is a game that is unforgiving,” he said. “Things can change quick. You can be at the top of the game, and your body doesn’t hold up or some freak accident happens. Injuries happen all the time. So tennis isn’t forever. I think that’s one thing to learn and take away. Obviously still had a career that a lot of people dream about.”
Ben Shelton’s Round 2 Matchup at US Open
Next up for Shelton is 36-year-old Spaniard Roberto Bautista Agut. Shelton leads the head-to-head series, two to one, and is the better player on hard court. He’s also spent less time on the court this week — Bautista needed 3 hours and 16 minutes of play to advance to the second round.
Fans can find full coverage of the US Open on ESPN+ with a subscription. Select matches are aired on ESPN’s main cable channel.
Follow us @GatorsWire on X, formerly known as Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Florida Gators news, notes and opinions.
Andy Murray’s incredible tennis career came to an end on Thursday in Paris as his Great Britain doubles team with Dan Evans fell to Americans Taylor Fritz and Tommy Paul. Murray’s pro career started in 2005 and ended in 2024 with a remarkable singles’ record of 739–262, three Grand Slam titles (U.S. Open in 2012, Wimbledon in 2013 and 2016) and two Olympic gold medals (2012 and 2016).
After concluding his illustrious lifetime on the court as a professional player, the 37-year-old tennis legend summed up his career in the most perfect way with a five-word tweet.
It was a VERY tense day between Iga Swiatek and Danielle Collins in Paris.
In the heat of high-level Olympic tennis, emotions are bound to run wild. What happened between world No. 1, Poland’s Iga Swiatek, and the USA’s Danielle Collins during the women’s singles quarterfinals on Wednesday in Paris is no exception.
Tensions between the two tennis stars seemingly started during a scary moment in the final set. When Collins volleyed a ball back from center court that accidentally hit Swiatek in the ribs, the Polish athlete was staggered for a moment.
Fortunately for Swiatek, after Collins and a match official checked on her, she was apparently OK enough to continue playing:
Danielle Collins hits the ball straight into Iga Swiatek at a rocket speed 🚀, she was on ground for a moment 😯 #PARIS2024pic.twitter.com/BYR6J45bHt
— The Tennis Letter (@TheTennisLetter) July 31, 2024
Collins would later suffer an apparent abdominal injury, ostensibly from dehydration resulting from temperatures that reached the upper 90s (Fahrenheit) in Paris on Wednesday. The ailment would eventually force Collins to retire from the match, conceding defeat to Swiatek, with the Polish player leading the third set 4-1 at the time.
When Collins and Swiatek greeted each other at the end of the match, tennis fans thought their handshake seemed a little more heated than you’d expect for a customary goodbye. Their assumptions proved correct.
According to Christopher Clarey, Collins thought Swiatek was showing off “fakeness” by being “insincere” about well-wishes for her injury.
Danielle Collins was asked what she said to Iga Swiatek when she spoke to her after retiring from their quarterfinal with what Collins later explained was an abdominal muscle injury.#olympics#tennispic.twitter.com/ycnCj4etaH
— Christopher Clarey 🇺🇸 🇫🇷 🇪🇸 (@christophclarey) July 31, 2024
In response, Swiatek reportedly denied Collins’ accusation, asserting she’s never done anything “nasty” to the American player while maintaining she was trying to congratulate Collins on her career, who is officially retiring from tennis at the end of this current season with the aim of starting a family.
“Well, I won’t argue about it [Collins’ insincere accusation] because I’ve never done anything nasty to her [Collins],” Swiatek said. “I rather wanted to congratulate her on her successful career because we all know that this is her last year on tour … Honestly, I don’t know what she meant because we didn’t even have any interactions that could have caused her to say that to me.”
Phew. I suppose all of this chaos is par for the course for elite competitors playing for their countries, but what a whirlwind to unpack. If there is still some lingering animosity between Swiatek and Collins after this, here’s hoping they ensure it’s all water under the bridge in the near future.
Good morning, Winners! Welcome back to the Morning Win. Thanks for reading today. Here’s your morning medal count as of 9:00 a.m. ET.
— United States: 20 (3 gold, 8 silver, 9 bronze)
— France: 16 (5 gold, 8 silver, 3 bronze)
— Japan: 12 (6 gold, 2 silver, 4 bronze)
— China: 12 (5 gold, 5 silver, 2 bronze)
— Korea: 10 (5 gold, 3 silver, 2 bronze)
Coco Gauff deserves better
The story of Coco Gauff’s loss in straight sets (7-6, 6-2) to Donna Vekić won’t be about the loss.
Instead, it’ll be about the argument between Gauff and yet another chair umpire after an erroneous call completely derailed what felt like might be a classic.
With the second set at 2-3 and Vekić playing for a breakpoint, Gauff served the ball into Vekić’s forehand. Gauff prepared to hit a return but the line judge called the ball out as she swung. She seemed to pull up after the call and sent the ball into the net.
The umpire correctly overruled the line judge and ruled the ball in. But the judge also ruled that Gauff lost the point, which gave Vekić the break she needed to push the match to 4-2.
That’s what caused Gauff’s teary-eyed reaction. She felt cheated and it’s hard to blame her.
A call was made and Gauff reacted to it. The call was wrong, yes, but it disrupted play. The obvious solution was to replay the point, but instead, we got a heated argument between Gauff and the chair umpire that looked completely embarrassing for the sport.
This isn’t the first time this has happened to Gauff. Just over a month ago at the French Open essentially the same thing happened in Gauff’s match against Iga Swiatek. Back then, Gauff argued that tennis needs a replay system to prevent things like this from happening. She’s arguing it again here and, honestly, she may be right. For these errors to continue to mar the sport repeatedly isn’t the greatest look.
You know what also isn’t the greatest look? Gauff’s reaction here. Don’t get me wrong. Understandably, she’s upset about what keeps happening to her. Anyone would be.
There’s nothing wrong with being an emotional player. We’ve seen plenty come through the sport and thrive. John McEnroe is the obvious one that comes to mind. Serena Williams got fiery at times on the court, too. But they were able to use that emotion and that fire to thrive.
Today, it seemed, Gauff’s emotions were a bit of a hindrance. That’s Ok. Gauff is young. She’ll learn and get better from this.
Let’s hope Roland Garros learns, too, and doesn’t continuously allow things to go this far.
Katie Ledecky is still better than everyone else
Here’s our daily word from Michelle Martinelli, who has boots on the ground in Paris for the Games. Today’s subject is the unmatched brilliance of Katie Ledecky. The longer she goes, the better she is.
NANTERRE, France — Bonjour, les gagnants! On Day 4 of swimming at the Paris Olympics, Katie Ledecky is doing Katie Ledecky things, like crushing her 1,500-meter freestyle competition in her typically dominant fashion.
The longer the race, the better Ledecky is, and the 1,500 is her best event — and one that was FINALLY added to the Olympic lineup at the 2021 Tokyo Games. (It took decades, but organizers finally corrected the absurdly antiquated and sexist thinking that limited the longest Olympic women’s event to the 800 when men could swim the 1,500.)
The world record holder, Ledecky was the first women’s 1,500 Olympic champion in Tokyo, setting the Olympic record by default. And after her prelims swim Tuesday, she certainly looks like she’ll have no trouble defending her Olympic gold.
Ledecky qualified first while fellow American Katie Grimes didn’t make the top-8 final, set for Wednesday afternoon Eastern time.
On a personal note, as a kid watching Olympic swimming, I remember being confused about why women couldn’t swim the 1,500 when 10-year-old me could. So to finally see the event in Tokyo on TV and then in person Tuesday in Paris was really something special.
This was my view of Ledecky cruising to the finish in prelims:
The 10-year-old inside me is crying.
— Michelle Martinelli 🇫🇷
Don’t forget: The MLB trade deadline is today
Mandatory Credit: Thomas Shea-USA TODAY Sports
Olympic buzz has overtaken just about everything. But this might be a pretty important day for your favorite baseball team.
We’ve already seen a bit of movement so far. Jazz Chisholm Jr. is a Yankee. Randy Arozarena is a Mariner. There’s plenty more to come with so many teams thinking they have a legitimate shot at winning down the stretch of the season. So many contending teams still have holes to fill.
If you need to play a little catchup, don’t worry. We’ve got you covered.
